American singer Sabrina Carpenter apologised for mistaking a fan’s zaghrouta – a high-pitched ululation used in some Arab cultures to express deep joy – for a yodel and calling it “weird” during her headlining performance at Coachella on April 10.
“My apologies. I didn’t see this person with my eyes and couldn’t hear clearly,” Carpenter said in a post on the social platform X on April 11. “My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill-intended.”
The 26-year-old added that she could have handled the moment better. “Now I know what a zaghrouta is,” she wrote. “I welcome all cheers and yodels from here on out.”
Zaghroutas, which are used across the Middle East and in parts of Africa, are traditionally performed by women. The loud trilling sound conveys joyous celebration. It is often heard at weddings and other significant occasions.
As one viral video on TikTok put it: The louder the zaghrouta, “the more we love the person”.
The zaghrouta that Carpenter heard on April 10 came during a quiet moment in her show.
As the pop singer sat at a keyboard, fans cheered in excitement. At least one person in the audience belted out a zaghrouta, according to a widely circulating video on social media.
“I think I heard someone yodel,” Carpenter responded. “Is that what you’re doing? I don’t like it.”
A voice from the audience yelled out to explain that it was an Arab call in celebration, adding: “It’s my culture.”
“That’s your culture, is yodelling?” Carpenter said, furrowing her eyebrows.
“It’s a call, a celebration,” the fan shouted back.
“Is this Burning Man?” Carpenter said. “What’s going on? This is weird.”
Fans appeared divided over Carpenter’s response on social media.
One user called it “insensitive and Islamaphobic”. Another wrote: “She’s not obligated to like anything, but after receiving the information that it was part of the person’s culture, the least that is expected is respect.”
Others offered Carpenter grace.
“That is the right way to end it,” one said about the singer’s apology. “She didn’t know, but now she does.”
A representative for Carpenter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on April 12.
The episode on April 10 was not the first time that the use of a zaghrouta amid a musical act had stirred controversy.
When pop star Shakira, who was born in Colombia but whose father is Lebanese, let out a loud trill during her Super Bowl half-time performance in 2020, some viewers ridiculed the act online. But others recognised it as a zaghrouta.
“No wedding or celebration would be complete without having a zaghrouta expression taking place,” one academic told The Washington Post at the time, comparing the call to a cowboy’s “Yee-haw!”
Coachella continued on April 11 with a lengthy list of performers, including American rock band The Strokes, American R&B singer Giveon and American actress-singer Addison Rae. Canadian singer Justin Bieber headlined the evening.
American rapper Young Thug and English singer FKA Twigs performed on April 12 with Colombian singer Karol G as the headlining act.
The festival will return to the California desert this weekend for another three days of performances. - ©2026 The New York Times Company
